Spirited
by FireKali Chaos
Summary: TyKa. Complete! Going home for the holidays from a training camp, their ride breaks down miles from help, except for that dilapitated, spooky house on the hill... Who will go for help and what will they find? Semi sequel to Haunted.
1. Chapter 1

**Kali Notes:** Entered in the **Ultimate TyKa Fanfiction Contest. **_I'm back! Yes, and Kali brings you the sequel (of a sort) to Haunted! So you are correct if you assume this is a seasonal fic. XD Why is this a sort of, kind of, type sequel? Because it is merely following the plot device of using ghosts, spirits, specters, poltergeists…whatever you wanna call 'em, and the places they tend to, well, haunt. This means that the actual plot of Haunted is not involved in this new fic whatsoever. Confused yet? I think you'll get the idea once you read on. So! Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:** Kali does not own Beyblade or its characters. We just borrow them because we love them so much to write stuff. Stuff that fans like to read (we hope…)!_

_Also, Kali does not own The X-Files or the episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" (season 06 – best freakin' season, not to mention Christmas episode) which heavily influenced this fic._

_**Warnings:** Shonen-ai, adult language, suspenseful situations, and indecent amount of fluff – because 'tis the season, after all._

_**Pairing:** TyKa!_

_**Summary:** On their way home from a training camp to celebrate the holidays with their families, the BBA Revolution's bus breaks down miles from assistance…except for that dilapidated, gothic, spooky looking house up on the hill… Who will be brave enough to risk going for help? And what will they find?_

**_Special thanks to my good friend, Typing, for giving me the idea I so desperately needed to write this, and to TechnoRanma for putting together the contest.  
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**SPIRITED**

**Chapter 01:**

'Twas the night before Christmas…

On a long, winding road through the countryside, on a dark, cold, windy night. One in which it was beginning to snow, softly falling white fluff that was dusting the world in a blanket of white.

A small bus lumbered carefully down the highway, driven by a BBA driver and filled with the teens who comprised the former World Champion Bladebreakers – plus Hilary and Daichi. The group of bladers were at a special winter training camp somewhere up in the wilds of Mount Fuji (who knew there was wilderness up there?) almost two weeks ago, and now they were on their way home for the holiday season.

In the back seats, the teens were all turned toward each other while listening to Hilary begin to spin a spooky tale with avid interest. Even Kai (who sat in the back corner against the window pretending he didn't care, as usual) was listening to the stories the others told in an attempt to out-do each other. Such were the eternal competitive spirits of his friends.

"Someone remind me why we're telling ghost stories? It's Christmas, not Halloween!" Kenny grumbled, trying to hide behind his laptop to hide the shivers. He hated spooky stuff – just that much more since they're run-in with the Dark Bladers a few years ago during that first year of blading together.

"Because ghosts are cool!" Max exclaimed, blue eyes bright in the low light that barely lit up their half of the bus.

"And because it's more fun." Tyson agreed with mock solemnity. "Christmas stories are nice, and sappy, and that's great…but scary stories are much more entertaining!"

Rei patted Kenny on the shoulder. "Besides, Chief, there isn't much else we can do now that it's dark out. We can't read without killing our eyes, and we don't have one of those DVD players for cars or something, so…"

Daichi tilted his head at the group. "Is Kenny scared of ghosts?"

Hilary sighed and nodded sadly. "Are you, Daichi? 'Cause I know some pretty terrifying tales!" Her expression turned slightly wicked. Daichi, however, made a face.

"I can handle it! I'm a World Champion blader, after all!"

Kai nudged Tyson in the ribs with an elbow before he could make a response that would undoubtedly start an argument. "Don't even, Kinomiya." He ignored the pout that stuck Tyson's bottom lip out in a way that was far to enticing for Kai's comfort.

"How far do we have to go, anyway?" Daichi wondered, trying to peer out a window as if he might see a landmark that would tell him where they were – not that he could see through the snow and darkness.

"Not much farther, Daichi." The driver heard him and answered. "Maybe…an hour and a half? Depends on if this snow gets worse."

Hilary joined Daichi in trying to see out the window, nodding. "Okay. I recognize this area. I had an aunt who used to live out here. We visited her quite often." Then she grinned. "Perfect! I know just the story to tell you boys. It's about the house my aunt lived in."

Tyson and Max leaned forward eagerly and Rei rolled his eyes. Kenny nervously played with his glasses, then got up and said, "I'm just going to…go sit over here for a while," before he escaped. Kai cracked an eye open, but that was the extent of his outward interest. Daichi just sat up in his seat on Tyson's other side and demanded, "Get on with it, hag!"

The brunette swatted him over the head but otherwise ignored his insults. She was far too used to them by now. Settling into her role as storyteller, Hilary began her tale.

_"Picture, if you will, a nice, comfortable house with a cozy veranda, some big trees in the front yard and well-kept hedges surrounding the property. It's a large house, lots of rooms, tastefully decorated but still has a homey feeling. It stood just outside of town, a mere half-hour's walk away. This house belongs to a newly wedded couple. They were quite young to be getting married, some said, but the fact was they'd been sweethearts since childhood."_

"Hey! I thought this was a ghost story!" Daichi complained. "Not a stupid girly romance novel!"

"Shut it, Daichi!" Hilary snapped back. "I'm setting up the characters and the mood! Now keep quiet!"

"Shhh…" Max shushed the youngest of their teammates. "Give her a chance."

Daichi scowled, but kept quiet. Eyeing him, Hilary continued.

_"It was Christmas of 1950, just after WWII. He was a handsome man – smart, generous, kind, and strong – but he'd injured his leg in an accident once when he was much younger, and it kept him out of the War. His name was Ryou. His beloved wife was Isae, a pretty young woman who loved her husband and her home very much. By this time, the country was in deep grief and mired in anger and horror, as the recovery from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had only just begun. Times were dark, and life was difficult, but this couple was fortunate to have inherited the house from Isae's grandmother when they married – a dowry, of sorts. So while many had little to nothing to call home, Ryou and Isae were extremely lucky._

_"With the state of affairs here at the time, the lovers were often confronted with fear and despair. Life was so uncertain, despite that they were together, healthy, and with more shelter than most could claim. They feared losing one another for any reason – from illness, to accidents, to war. It wasn't just the lovers…everyone was afraid. But the fear of others didn't do anything to assuage the fears Ryou and Isae shared, instead making them worse. Finally it became too much for them, and they formed a lovers' pact so that they could spend eternity together."_

"A lovers' pact? What's that?" Daichi interrupted.

"Shh! Never mind." Tyson shushed him impatiently. This story was getting good. He'd never admit it aloud, but Hilary had a flair for storytelling.

"It means they swore an oath to each other to be together forever, and it means they…died." Rei hesitated to explain the idea of a murder-suicide to the youth.

"Died?" Interested now, Daichi looked around at them searching for more clarification. "How?"

"That's the story, Daichi!" Hilary grinned, eyes sparkling. "Now let me finish!"

_"They decided that they would die together, and would spend the rest of eternity in their beautiful home together. On Christmas Eve, Ryou took his father's pistol from the safe before joining his wife in their bedroom. Then he first shot Isae before shooting himself. They died together as they'd wanted, and their deaths left a mark on the house that remains even to his day. It's even cursed! No couple who has lived in that house since has lived longer than a year. Many more deaths have occurred in that house, and strange things are always happening. Noises, moved objects, strange lights, cold breezes, weird smells… People in the area agree the place is haunted."_

"Wo-ow…" Max's eyes were wide. "That's fantastic! I wish we could stop at this house and investigate!"

"Me too!" Tyson agreed, his own eyes gleaming. Rei smiled at them fondly, shaking his head.

"You guys are such suckers. There's no such thing as ghosts." Kai stated.

"Are you kidding? Hello? Dark Bladers?" Tyson stared at him incredulously.

"They weren't ghosts. I hesitate to even call them something supernatural – other than lunatics." Kai scoffed, turning away to stare out the window – thus avoiding Tyson's returning pout.

"So does anyone know why they chose Christmas?" Max asked, curiously.

"Hmm…" Hilary pondered that, shrugging. "I don't think anyone knows for sure, but I would say…with the way things were back then, and the fact that it was a time of year when things aren't supposed to be dark and unhappy…"

"Ah. That makes sense. I suppose waiting for New Years' wouldn't really work as well, would it?"

"No. Not especially."

"Does anyone still live there?" Daichi asked.

"I don't think so. My aunt moved in with my other aunt and her family last year. She's a widow." Hilary added, thoughtfully. "She only lived in the house for a year. Said it was too big and lonely for one person."

"Maybe the ghosts scared her away." Tyson grinned. Hilary rolled her eyes.

"Don't be an idiot."

"He can't help it." Kai snorted, crimson eyes flickering toward his rival in amusement.

"No, I can't… HEY!"

Suddenly the bus lurched, tossing everyone to one side.

"Ouch!"

"Daichi! Get your butt outta my face!"

"Noooo! My laptop!"

"Kinomiya, watch the knee!"

"Is anyone hurt?" The driver inquired once the bus came to a stop. Thankfully, the bus was still upright on all four wheels, and no one was reporting any serious injuries – just bumps and bruises.

"Nah. We're okay. We've had worse blading." Rei dusted his clothes off, helping Max to his feet, then Hilary. Kenny was staring mournfully at his laptop, which had gotten tossed to the floor rather harshly. Daichi lay on his back, sprawled over the seat in a daze, but otherwise just fine.

Tyson was staring down at Kai, who he'd been thrown on top of when the bus lurched. Kai was staring back, frozen in place and unable to say anything – or perhaps unwilling to say anything. The bluenette swallowed thickly and murmured, "You okay?"

"Fine." Kai replied softly. "You?"

"Good. Fine." They stared at each other a moment longer until a hesitant cough broke through their moment.

"Uh…guys? You hurt?" Rei peered down at them over the back of the bus seat.

"No." Kai snapped, glaring at both Rei and the warm, toned body on top of him. "Get the hell off!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Tyson scrambled away, face turning rather red.

"What happened?" Daichi was asking of the driver.

"I don't know. It just suddenly started acting strangely and I could barely keep enough control on these icy roads to keep us on the road. Then it just…died." The driver was shaking his head, trembling a little from the near-miss.

"I'd better take a look." Daichi followed the driver and stepped off the bus. Rei pulled out a flashlight from an overhead compartment marked with a big red cross.

"There's a first aid kit in there, and some emergency supplies. Go through and see if there's anything we can use. I'll be back… They'll need light." He hurried after them.

"Well." Hilary sighed and sat down heavily. "That was certainly not fun. I'm glad no one's hurt."

"Me, too." Max nodded, looking over at Tyson when a loud curse lit up the bus interior. "Tyson? What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." Tyson was curled up in the opposite corner away from Kai, staring at his hand. "I must have bumped my hand or something earlier. I'm fine."

Max slipped over to see for himself. "Let me see?"

"It's fine, Max." Tyson protested, trying to keep it away from the blonde who was trying to make a grab for his hand and inspect the damage. "Come on, stop that!"

"Just let me…oh! Damn, Tyson… That's gotta hurt." Draciel's blader winced at the bruising over Tyson's wrist and up the side of his forearm.

"What?" Hilary and Kenny crowded around Max to look over the seat at Tyson.

"Yikes!"

"Tyson, you're not fine! That's bad! That's your launch hand, too!" Kenny exclaimed.

This got Kai's attention (he who had been doing his best to pretend he hadn't been plastered to the seat beneath the star of his every hope and dream), and as the former captain – not to mention Tyson's top rival – he was across the bus and next to the injured bluenette in seconds, gently but firmly pushing up Tyson's sleeve to look for himself. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" He demanded, carefully turning Tyson's arm. "Look at this! You're not going to be able to hold a launcher for weeks with this!"

"It's not that bad…" was the weak protest.

Hilary suddenly thrust the first aid kit at Kai, pulling out emergency splints and a tensor bandage. "Here, hold that. I'll wrap it so he can't move it and make it worse."

"Give it here. I'll do it." Kai shoved it back at her and took the stuff, applying the splints in a surprisingly professional manner and wrapping the bandage just as professionally. Neither he nor Tyson noticed the other three silently disappear to the front of the bus. "Well, all I can say is you're lucky it's the holidays, Kinomiya. At least there aren't any tournaments that you'll be missing because of this."

"It's not like I did it on purpose."

"I didn't say anything of the sort. It wasn't your fault. I'm just saying you're lucky."

Tyson sighed. Having this much of Kai's attention on him – when they weren't in the middle of a battle – was nerve-wrangling in an exciting, terrifying, I want him to never stop touching me kind of way. It happened so infrequently that it was mildly scary. Kai was always so intense in everything he did, and the only time Tyson was used to dealing with it focused on himself was during a battle. Outside the stadium was a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

Rei came bounding back inside with Daichi, rubbing his hands together and blowing on them to warm them up. "Wow, is it chilly out there!"

"So what's up?" Max asked.

"Not entirely sure. But the driver thinks we'll need a tow truck and a new ride." The raven-haired teen hugged himself. Unfortunately, it's quite a hike into town from here."

Daichi glanced at him. "What about that house we saw? There were lights on."

"I didn't see any lights…" Rei shook his head. "Besides, it looked kind of…condemned."

"There were lights! I swear!"

"Wouldn't hurt to go check it out." Max pointed out. "At least if there is someone there, we can ask to borrow their phone to call for help."

They all looked out the bus windows at the blowing snow that was less than welcoming.

"Sooo…" Max drawled.

"Who's going to go?" Daichi wondered.

"No way. I'm not dressed for this weather." Hilary pointed at her shoes – strappy sandals with a heel.

"Uh…my laptop is very delicate. It wouldn't survive the cold." Kenny bowed out.

"I'll stay here to help the driver. Maybe we can find the problem and fix it." Rei shrugged when the others looked at him. "What? I don't see any of the rest of you with any practical mechanical knowledge."

Max sighed. "Well, I guess I'll…"

"You'll all stay here." Kai announced, unceremoniously getting up and heading for the front of the bus. Tyson frowned, following closely behind the others as they followed Kai.

"Are you sure, Kai? I'll come with." Max offered, though he wasn't really keen on the idea.

"No, you all stay here. Look after Tyson. Make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

"Hey!"

Kai stepped off the bus out into the snowy night and disappeared. While the others stood around trying to figure out what to do while they waited, they failed to comply with Kai's half-kidding order to keep an eye on their World Champion.

So no one noticed when Tyson slipped away and followed Kai out into the white darkness and down the long drive up to the seemingly abandoned house in the middle of nowhere.

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**Kali endnotes:** Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope this unconventional seasonal fic rekindles some of that good 'ole TyKa fandom love! I also hope everyone hasn't overdone the turkey and stuffing… lol More coming soon! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to **R/R!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kali Notes:** Entered in the **Ultimate TyKa Fanfiction Contest** at _kaitaka__.net_. Hey, all! I hope everyone had a wonderful and happy New Year's! I'm taking my time with this one, as it's a new genre for me.

Kali's never written anything quite like this before…call it an experiment. Happy reading!

**Disclaimer:** Kali does not own Beyblade or its characters. We just borrow them because we love them so much to write stuff. Stuff that fans like to read (we hope…)!

Also, Kali does not own The X-Files or the episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" which heavily influenced this fic.

**Warnings:** Shonen-ai, adult language, suspenseful situations, and indecent amount of fluff – because 'tis the season, after all.

**Pairing:** TyKa!

_**Special thanks to Ty_ping, for giving me the idea I so desperately needed to write this, and to TechnoRanma for putting together the contest.**_

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**Chapter 02:**

Kai shrugged his shoulders, hunching a little further into his coat against the brisk winter wind. Trudging (actually, he preferred 'stomping') through the fresh white powder of snow up the long, winding drive, he wondered why he always managed to get himself into these situations. _No_, he corrected himself, _why I let __Tyson__ get me into these situations_. And what was all that back on the bus? Come to think of it, there were an awful lot of these intense non-battle moments occurring between Tyson and himself lately, and Kai had no idea where they were coming from. Seemed like every time that the two were near each other (again, in a non-combative way) they ended up in a place all their own, like the world around them melted away into stars and water and sand and heat… Kai took a shaky breath, pulling his thoughts away from that direction. He stopped and looked up at the rather large house on the hill he'd just climbed, taking in its imposing presence, the heavy silence of the falling snow and eeriness of the atmosphere. Frowning, he looked around. He didn't think anyone lived here. For one thing, there were no lights on, not to mention how ready the building looked to just fall down around him if he so much as sneezed on it.

Suddenly the crunching sound of footsteps in the snow broke the quiet and Kai tensed, turning slowly to look behind himself. Immediately he scowled and growled at the shivering bluenette that was shuffling toward him. "Kinomiya! Get your ass back to the bus!"

"I wasn't going to sit around back there while you were running around up here all alone, Kai." Tyson reasoned, trying not to make an automatic sniping comment about Kai and where his orders could go. "Besides, the others would have done nothing but hover and I'm not that badly hurt. It's just my wrist…"

"Tyson, that you're hurt at all means you shouldn't be here. You should stay where it's warm and safe, not be gallivanting about in the night in a blizzard." Kai didn't know why he bothered to scold him, since Tyson never listened to him anyway. "And I don't need your help."

Tyson sighed as Kai turned away and looked back up at the house. _No, of course you don't. You never need me outside of a beybattle_. He thought, wishing he had the guts to say things like that out loud. "Well, tough. I'm here and I'm not walking back there now." He sidled up to his rival and joined him in studying the house. "Although…I'm thinking this place is very uninhabited – by the living."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Oh please. I know you actually believe in that stuff, but don't let it run away with your common sense, Kinomiya." He blinked as a light turned on in an upper window, the glow muted by the falling snow. "See? Obviously someone's home."

"Apparently." The bluenette raised an eyebrow but didn't make the response that the 'someone' had to be nuts to be living in a place like this. He hurried after Kai as the older blader started toward the wood steps leading up to the front door. "Kai…I don't know about this."

"We just need to make a phone call. We'll knock, ask, make the call, and get out, alright?" Beginning to feel a tad frustrated with this overly cautious version of his friend, Kai put a hand to the handrail and slowly mounted the steps – which creaked and groaned under his weight with every step he took. Tyson followed, each of his steps taken nervously.

"It would be a nice place once it got fixed up a little." He commented, pretending he wasn't freaking out. The atmosphere of this creepy joint was giving his nerves a workout.

Kai ignored him and went up to the door. He reached out and went to press the doorbell but stopped when he realized…there wasn't one. "Um…" Shrugging, his hand diverted to deliver a smart set of knocks to the door instead. "I guess they don't bother with modern amenities."

"What?" Tyson came up beside him and tried peering through a window next to the door. "I can't see any…" he began, but was interrupted as the door suddenly swung open. Light poured out the open doorway, illuminating Kai. "Oh."

"There's…no one here." Kai stated, frowning. Tyson looked around the doorframe into the front hall. "Let's check it out."

"Whoa, now, wait a second!" Tyson grabbed onto his jacket sleeve with his good hand and clung. "Are you nuts? I know you're brave and have all kinds of great survival skills and stuff…but Kai, even _I_ wouldn't go into a strange house like this."

"And what if someone _is_ in there and needs help? Let's just take a quick look." Kai turned and gripped Tyson's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Where's the Kinomiya that faces anything that gets in his path? You're not a coward, so either come with me, or get your ass back to the bus."

Unable to come up with a better idea or protest, Tyson reluctantly followed Kai into the house.

The foyer was lit up by very low lighting from old-fashioned light fixtures on the walls. It was warm enough inside to be comfortable without their jackets, but neither was about to take them off.

"Wow. This place is pretty fancy – in an old kind of way." Tyson said, glancing around at the rather intricate architectural details to the woodwork. "I haven't seen such crazy stuff since I was a kid, and Gramps and Dad were remodeling the house."

Kai sniffed indelicately, interested, but not actually impressed. "It's fairly common in old houses, Kinomiya. And anyway, weren't you the one who didn't want to come in here?"

Pouting, Tyson shrugged and looked around again. "It's odd that no one was at the door when it opened. So how did it open?" This place made him uneasy.

"Maybe it wasn't actually latched properly and a draft pulled it open." Kai did his own cursory glance around the foyer. "Hello? Anyone home?" he called, hoping to hear an answer.

"Uh, we're sorry for disturbing you so late, but our bus broke down on the highway, and we need to call a mechanic or someone." Tyson added. They listened closely, but no one replied. "Hello?"

About to say no one was home, Kai opened his mouth. He abruptly closed it at the – at first – faint sound of footsteps slowly thudding across the floor from somewhere upstairs. Or at least, it sounded like footsteps.

"Kai…"

"Yeah."

"Should we…?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

Kai just went to the simple staircase that went up, curved right, and continued on to the upstairs landing. "Come on, Kinomiya. I want to get to the bottom of this." Tugging on Tyson by the wrist, he directed the bluenette upwards. "Just come on!"

There was a lot of dust on the banister railings, on the walls, and rising up from the hardwood floors as they walked. And there were cobwebs everywhere. Tyson couldn't help commenting on them. "Kai, I _really_ don't think anyone has been here in a long, long time."

Suddenly there was a loud creaking sound from behind them then a great BANG! as the front door slammed shut downstairs. They hurried to look over the banister down to the main floor, but saw nothing. Glancing at each other, they shared strange looks.

And then the lights died.

"Shit."

"I TOLD you this was a bad idea!"

"Shut up, Kinomiya. There's a storm outside. The power's probably gone down somewhere. Don't go getting all excited." Kai reasoned, trying to keep Tyson calm – not to mention his own nerves from jumping out of his skin.

"…Right."

Kai didn't think he believed him. Pulling Tyson away from the banister, he looked down the darkened hall, trying to see what was down there. "I haven't spotted a phone yet. But there may be one in one of these rooms. Let's quickly see if there is, then check the main floor, and get out of here."

"Sure." _Anything_, Tyson thought, _to get the hell out of here_.

They slowly crept down the hall until they found the first door. Taking hold of the knob, an old glass kind, Tyson turned his wrist and pushed the door open warily. The door made an eerie creaking noise that sent a shiver straight down Tyson's spine, and his hand grabbed onto Kai's jacket again unconsciously. This time, though, the dual-haired blader said nothing and walked into the room to look around, forcing Tyson to come along.

"Wow." That seemed to be Tyson's phrase of the day, even if – in this case – Kai had to agree. It was a pretty nice room. A study, in fact, that could be reached from a ladder that led down from a small landing that housed several bookshelves along the walls filled to capacity with ancient-looking (and smelling) books and tomes. The main floor below was lined with more overflowing bookcases, a big stone fireplace on one wall, and a couple of cozy, over-sized leather armchairs with a nice, antique side table between them facing the fireplace. The room was darkened, but there was light and heat from the roaring fire that was burning merrily away. It was a very welcoming room, and seemed to soothe their nerves a little. "This is nice. Hey, there has to be _someone_ here, Kai. Fires don't light themselves."

"Exactly. I told you." Kai made for the ladder, climbing down. "They probably went to find out about the lights or why their front door was open and closing. If we wait here, they'll be back."

"I hope we don't get into trouble for wandering around their house uninvited." Tyson sighed, following him down. "Look at all these books! Have you ever seen so many?"

"Have you ever been to a library?" Kai retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "At school or the public one near the dojo?"

Scowling, Tyson shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, wincing slightly as he jarred his injured one. "I meant in someone's house, smart ass."

Kai nodded at his hand. "Be careful with that." He warned before wandering over to one bookshelf, surreptitiously studying the contents. Tyson watched him, confused (though this was nothing new). One minute the guy's shooting snarky comments at him and insulting him, the next there's something that sounds almost like concern in his voice. Storm blue eyes tracked Kai's movements, noting the stiffness in the other teen's shoulders and the strange waves of tension that rolled off him.

While Tyson was trying to puzzle out his former team captain, Kai was busy trying to figure himself out. His thoughts whirled along down various tracks, mostly centering around the strange feelings he was experiencing around Tyson. Not strange because he didn't know what they were (as he was, by now, very cognizant of what they were) but because he didn't know why the feelings were welling up and plaguing him right now when he really didn't want to deal with them. After all, this was a completely inappropriate time to be pining away and drooling over the one he secretly loved. And it was making him act erratically, which even Tyson was bound to notice soon if he didn't get a hold of his hormones.

Tyson rubbed his arms against the chill of the room, even with the fire going. Then he realized there was a slight breeze wafting through the air, ruffling his hair in an almost teasing way. Frowning, he glanced at the ladder, saying, "Kai, do you feel that?" A sudden blur of movement from the corner of his eye made him whip around to try and see it, but there was nothing there. He did, however, see two other doors in the room that he hadn't spotted before. Kai hadn't moved from where he stood near the fireplace in front of the same bookcase.

"Feel what?" Kai asked absently, pulling a book off the shelf.

"There's something…weird going on." Tyson planted his hands on his hips. "And it doesn't look like anyone is coming back in here. I mean, shouldn't someone have come in by now?"

"They could be having trouble finding their breaker box or something. They don't know we're here, after all." Kai pointed out, flipping the book open. "Would you please chill?"

A shudder passed through the bluenette as that breeze picked up, seeming to flow right through not only his clothes, but his body as well. "I am definitely chilled." Not liking the situation at all, Tyson moved to stand nearer to Kai. "You know, there's all kinds of evidence that ghosts really exist. People have been seeing spirits and specters for millennia and there's always stories about houses and other buildings being haunted. Some people have even managed to get pictures and video footage."

Kai gave him a raised eyebrow in question. "So?"

"So…it seems like maybe this place would be a prime location for research. Besides," Tyson inched closer, looking around the room over Kai's shoulder, his back to the bookcase, "this place gives me the creeps. I'm pretty sensitive to the mood of a place, and I don't like what my radar is picking up around here."

"Mood? Kinomiya, you've been watching too much TV with Max again. Remind me to cut back on your TV time when we get home." He'd never admit that the house gave him the heebie-jeebies, too.

After a couple more minutes of, yes, eerie silence, Kai snapped the book shut hard enough to make Tyson jump nearly out of his skin and latch onto Kai's arm. "Ack! Don't do that, Kai!"

"You're pathetic." Putting the book back on the shelf, Kai took Tyson's hand firmly in his own and pulled him to a door he spotted in one corner. "Let's see if we can find whoever lives here or that phone. We can't spend any more time standing around while the others are stuck out there in the storm."

Relieved – and with an odd, tingly warmth filling him at the sensation of Kai's hand wrapped snuggly around his – Tyson didn't fight Kai's determined stride to the door, which he quickly opened and passed through.

Only to stop dead on the other side and stare in both consternation and confusion. "What the…?"

"Kai?" Tyson looked over Kai's shoulder and his hand tightened around Kai's in shock. "…the hell? Weren't we just…" he looked back over his own shoulder at the room they just left.

Which was the exactly the same room they'd just entered from the _other_ door.

"Okay. This is weird."

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**Kali endnotes:** Ooooh, I wonder what other sorts of spookiness the house will throw at our heroes? Stay tuned! More coming soon! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to **R/R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kali Notes:** Entered in the **Ultimate TyKa Fanfiction Contest. ** _This chapter is a part of my latest Chaos Wave! Thanks for the reviews, everyone!_

_**Disclaimer:** Kali does not own Beyblade or its characters. We just borrow them because we love them so much to write stuff. Stuff that fans like to read (we hope…)!_

_Also, Kali does not own The X-Files or the episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" which heavily influenced this fic._

_**Warnings:** Shonen-ai, adult language, suspenseful situations, and indecent amount of fluff – because 'tis the season, after all._

_**Pairing:** TyKa!_

**_Special thanks to Typing, for giving me the idea I so desperately needed to write this, and to TechnoRanma for putting together the contest.__

* * *

_ **

**Chapter 03:**

The two teens slowly walked forward until they were further into the room – enough that they could look around at the entire area from one spot. It was the exact same room they'd just left.

"Um…" Tyson frowned, keeping close to Kai as he looked back toward the door they'd just entered from. "What's going on?"

"Okay. I think I get this." Kai pointed at the door across the room. "We go through that door, and…we end up at that door." He spun and pointed at the other entrance. "Like…a loop?"

"In an instant? Without us noticing?" Tyson stared at him doubtfully. "Kai, I'm no Kenny, but even I know enough physics and such to know that's not very probable."

Scowling, Kai started walking to the opposite door. "Let's test it. You stay here, and I'll go through, so we can find out where it goes."

"Oh, hell no. You're not leaving me here by myself!" the bluenette protested. "Kai!"

"Stay, Kinomiya. I'm not going far, and I'll be right where you can see me the whole time." Kai ordered, reaching out to grasp the door handle and turn it. With an eerie creaking, he opened the door and walked through.

Tyson watched him go, curling his arms around himself in an effort to hide the shivering that was making him tremble visibly. He really didn't like this. "Kai…"

"It's just a hallway." Kai said, turning back. "Come on, Tyson, and we'll…" he was cut off as the door suddenly slammed shut right in front of him.

BAM!

"Kai!" Tyson ran to the door and began pounding on it with his good hand. "KAI?! Shit, this isn't funny, dude! Kai!" He grabbed the doorknob and tried to open the door again, but it wouldn't budge. He rattled it forcefully a few more times, but it just wouldn't open. Distressed and really scared now, he leaned against the door, his forehead propping him up against the cool wood while he tried to get his breathing back under control and to make his heart stop beating a rough tattoo in his chest.

"Kai…"

* * *

Crimson eyes stared at the now closed – and seemingly locked – door with shock. "Whatever this is, I suggest you cut it out and let me back through that door or I'll _rip it **down**!_" He said in a tight, angry voice. Whatever was going on here, it wasn't scaring him so much as it was pissing him off. He didn't like being played with, and he wouldn't put up with such games at a time like this. And he was worried about Tyson, who was probably on the other side of that door absolutely freaking out.

"You do any such thing, and you'll pay for the replacement, Kid."

Kai spun round at the voice, glaring and slightly off-balance from being startled. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The owner of the voice was an old man, dressed in tweed pants and a button-down plaid shirt, wearing a fisherman's hat. He stood at the other end of the hall, illuminated by the light spilling out an open doorway. "That's my question, seeing as how it's my house you're trespassing in."

"My friend and I came to ask to use your phone to call for a tow-truck and a mechanic. Your door opened and we came inside, but no one was there. We were looking around for whoever lives here, then we got separated." Kai explained with as much patience as he could muster at the moment. "There's something weird going on in this house, but I don't care about that. I just want my friend back so we can call for help and go back to the rest of our friends."

The old man frowned. "Something weird? Your friend? You're the only one I've seen or heard. Come in here where there's a fire." With that, he simply left Kai standing there and disappeared into the room.

Glancing back at the locked door, Kai hesitated a moment, but eventually followed the stranger.

As soon as he entered the room, he froze and stared. "What the…? I just…this is…" The usually unflappable Hiwatari Kai was officially flapped. It was the same damn room he'd just left Tyson in.

Only, it was minus Tyson.

"What the _hell_ is going on?!"

His host was standing at the fireplace, prodding the logs with a poker. He looked up at Kai's exclamation with a raised eyebrow. "Son, I don't know what's the matter with you, but there's nothing going on. You're in my study. My wife is making tea in the kitchen. She should be along soon." Kai's mouth opened, then closed. "You look like you've seen a ghost, kid. Have a seat and get your bearings back."

Kai made his way to one of the leather armchairs and dropped into it, unable to think of something else to say or do.

"Do you have a name or do I just keep calling you 'Kid'?"

Thoughts racing as he tried to wrap his mind around this mess he was in, Kai replied almost absently, "Hiwatari Kai."

The old man tilted his head and studied Kai with interest, taking a seat in the other armchair. "A Hiwatari? All the way out here? Curious. None of them usually deign to leave their high, holy ground back in the city."

Kai flicked his eyes up to glare hard at him. "Don't assume I'm _anything_ like my other family members, old man. It's a mistake."

"Didn't mean anything by it." He raised his hands up defensively. "It just surprised me, that's all. And I have a name, you know. Just call me Ryou." He held out a hand to Kai, who cautiously shook it briefly. "Good. Now we're getting somewhere. You said something about a friend?"

"Yes. Tyson. Like I said, we need to borrow your phone."

"Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. My wife will probably find him. And I'm afraid we don't have a telephone."

"Don't have…" Kai stared at him in consternation. Who the hell didn't have a phone these days? "Fine. I'll just find Tyson and we'll leave you alone." He stood up and went to the door, intending to go back the way he came and try to get Tyson out. "Sorry to have intruded. We really didn't know there was anyone around."

"Yes, well, you don't need to run off. There's a storm outside, you know…"

Kai ignored that, opening the door with a quick flick of his wrist…only to come up short in front of wall. The door led nowhere. "Agh!" Kai gave a short cry of frustrated anger and whirled on Ryou. "What the fuck…?!"

The room was empty, and he was once again alone.

* * *

After a few moments spent getting his nerves back under control, Tyson moved back from the door and turned to assess his situation carefully.

He was in a haunted house. Kai was missing. He seemed to be trapped in a room that had doors that led straight back to this same room. Kai was missing. His wrist was actually starting to throb and he didn't have any pain medication handy. Kai was missing. He still hadn't found a phone and his friends were still out there in the blizzard. And did he mention Kai was missing?

_Okay, Tyson…_ The bluenette grabbed hold of his thoughts and tried to talk himself into calming down. _Let's not get carried away. You can get yourself out of this mess without relying on Kai. You've been through worse, right?_

Right.

Walking back toward the fireplace, Tyson looked up toward the balcony area where he and Kai had first entered the room – or at least, he assumed it was, seeing as how he had no idea how this room worked. Hmm…worth trying.

Tyson went to the ladder and climbed up. At the top, he reached for the doorknob but just as he was about to turn it and open the door, the knob turned in his hand on its own and the door swung open. Standing there, in the doorway, was an old woman in a white nightdress carrying a full tea-tray. She seemed to glow with an ethereal spooky aura (coming from a light from somewhere in the hallway) that only served to add to the frantic jump of his nerves.

He let out a scream that nearly reached female proportions – echoed by the old woman a split second later.

"Ah! HOLY CRAP!" He exclaimed a moment later, clutching his chest for dear life. The old woman almost dropped her tray, but somehow managed to hang onto it. She was white as her gown yet she seemed quite capable of chewing him out.

"Kami save me! Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!"

"Me?! Look, lady, I didn't mean to trespass but my friend and I didn't know there was anyone living here. We hoped, because we need to borrow a phone to call for a tow truck, but when the door opened and let us in but no one was here…"

"Excuse me? Let you in? What are you talking about?"

"Um…" Tyson shuffled his feet and stepped back from the door. "Sorry, let me help you with that so we can get out of this door."

"Not necessary, young man." The old woman stopped past him regally and went to the balcony railing. Tyson frowned in confusion, because he didn't see how she was going to get down that ladder carrying the tray. To his amazement, she flicked a switch on the railing that neither he or Kai had noticed earlier and there was a light clanging noise as metal steps descended from the floor and curved down to the room below. She stepped down the stairs and walked to the small table between the leather chairs and set down the tray. Tyson followed her, somewhat bemused and a whole lost confused. "Now, speak up. Tell me what's going on here."

"Ah, I'm Kinomiya Tyson, ma'am. I'm sorry for coming into your home without invitation. As I said, my friend and I came here to borrow a phone because our team's bus broke down on the road. We knocked, and the door opened, but there was no one there. We were…" the World Champ hesitated, then decided Kai's excuse was probably best. "…concerned that someone might have been injured in the house so we came in to check it out. But weird stuff has been happening ever since we came in."

"I see." Pouring two teacups full of tea, the woman handed Tyson one. "You may call me Isae, Tyson. I thank you for your concern, but we are perfectly fine. My husband should be along soon. But may I ask, where is this friend you speak of? I have not seen anyone else."

Tyson took the cup, looking into its depths as if he could find all the answers to his situation there. This whole thing was crazy and getting even worse. He could swear he recognized the old woman's name from somewhere. "Thank you, Isae. Um, that's one of the weird things that happened. See, we were over there," he pointed at the hated door, "and Kai was just outside, but the door suddenly slammed shut and I couldn't get it open again. Plus, when I called for him, he didn't answer back."

She sipped her tea and raised an eyebrow. "Well, it is an old house. I imagine the doorframe has warped a little over the years. Strange things always occur in old houses, young man."

"Uh, maybe. I don't know why he didn't answer though."

"I'm sure my husband will find this Kai, so please do not worry. As for your other problem, I'm afraid we don't have a telephone."

Tyson blinked at her in surprise. "No phone? That's…old-fashioned." He couldn't say 'weird' without being rude.

"Yes, well, we have no use for such modern ridiculousness. Neither of us have any other family, and we're quite content to keep to ourselves here." Isae didn't appear to realize how strange it was to Tyson that someone in this day and age had no telephone in a wealthy country such as Japan.

"Uh huh. Well, if that's the case, then I'll just go find Kai and we'll get out of your space. I'm sorry, again, for intruding." Tyson set down the tea he hadn't drank and went to the door he'd lost Kai at. "Have a good evening, ma'am."

He turned the doorknob, direly hoping it would open this time. It did.

But there was nothing there but a wall.

"Well damn. Can this evening get any worse?"

* * *

**Kali endnotes:** Ah, things just get better and better, don't they? I love messing with the characters' heads. Don't forget, Ride the Wave! Check out my other updates, and stay tuned! More coming soon! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to **R/R!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kali Notes:** Entered in the **Ultimate TyKa Fanfiction Contest**.

Hey all! Kali's been busy, busy, busy! We're nearing the end of this fic (in no way was I letting this one go epic on me), so stick with it!

**Disclaimer:** Kali does not own Beyblade or its characters. We just borrow them because we love them so much to write stuff. Stuff that fans like to read (we hope…)!

Also, Kali does not own The X-Files or the episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" which heavily influenced this fic.

**Warnings:** Shonen-ai, adult language, suspenseful situations, and indecent amount of fluff – because 'tis the season, after all.

**Pairing:** TyKa!

**_Special thanks to Typing, for giving me the idea I so desperately needed to write this, and to TechnoRanma for putting together the contest._**

* * *

**Chapter 04:**

What was that old, cliché saying? Oh yes…

_Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you might just get it._

In this case, it wasn't exactly a wish, per se. Just one of those stupidly spoken aloud thoughts which pretty much just _invite_ trouble. Something said that Tyson immediately wished he could retract and pretend he never said it.

Turning around, with every intention of blasting the old woman with his demand for answers, his mouth opened…then stayed dropped open at the very empty room surrounding him. Isae was gone. In fact, so was the tea tray with saucers, cups, pot, etc. A sudden chill breeze passed right through him, and he turned to see that even the fire in the fireplace had disappeared. Tyson wrapped his arms around himself (with a wince when he jolted his wrist) against the cold, and wondered if he was finally losing his mind.

"One too many hits with the Beyblade. Yeah. That's it. Maybe I should take a vacation. A nice long one. At a hot spring somewhere quiet." Tyson stared around the room dully, completely at a loss as to what he should do now. "Dragoon…I wish you could give me some advice right about now. I've faced crazy beybattles, every kind of blader imaginable – including some real lunatics, bit-beasts galore… I'm in high school for pete's sake! This should be nothing! Why can't I get myself out of something so very simple as a goddamned house? Sure…it's haunted, but still!" As he yammered on (at himself, ostensibly), he made his way around the room to all the exits, hoping that one of them would open and he could make a very quick escape – hopefully running into Kai somewhere so they could both get the hell out here.

The door up the iron, retractable stairs was locked tightly and the only way Tyson could see to get it open was to launch his blade and destroy the door. Which of course he couldn't do with his wrist as it was. And despite the fact that it was an old house, it was built with quite sturdy construction, and not of the typical Japanese style (with rice paper walls, for instance) but in a more Western style, meaning the doors were solid and not worth the effort (and further injury) of busting it down manually.

Moving back down to the other door, opposite the one where the new wall was, Tyson grabbed the doorknob with his good hand and gave it an almost desperate twist.

"Oh thank you stars above!" He cried as the door swung open benignly. Hurrying through, he found himself somewhere on the main floor of the house, in an unfamiliar hallway. "Kai!" He called, at first a little hushed but after that an outright yell. "KAI! Where are you!?"

There was no answer, but Tyson moved along through the hall anyway, checking each room he came across. Thankfully, none of them had doors that could shut behind him and trap him again, or loop back to the same room again. When he reached the front door, he stopped and stared up the stairs in a state of deep indecision, fear, and worry for Kai. "Kai? If you can hear me, dude, answer me, please! Let me know you're alright, at least! Kai?" Still receiving no answer, Tyson reached up and pulled his hat off, slapping it against his leg in frustration. "Damn it. Look, Isae! I figure you can hear me…you and any other ghosts around this joint. We didn't come here to disturb you, we meant no harm. We just came looking for help! We are very sorry to have bothered you like this, and we both would appreciate it if you would let us go. Please? I can't leave Kai here alone. I won't leave him. No matter what you or anything else might try to do to me."

Tyson paused, listening intently for a response of any kind. He got nothing but wind. Tears sprung up in his eyes and he fought them back.

* * *

Kai paced back and forth like a truly caged animal. The predatory kind. Growls and guttural noises included. His hands were clenched tightly into fists, and one of them gripped his launcher (fully prepped for an immediate launch) as he stalked around the room, muttering and thinking through the situation. His threat assessing skills were in high gear, and all his instincts were screaming at him to launch Dranzer and burn the place down around him, except that doing that would mean possibly injuring Tyson and no way in hell would Kai ever do anything to harm the bluenette voluntarily – no matter how pissed off he truly was.

"Dranzer, old friend, I think it's time you and I explained a few things to these…people. We are not intimidated by scare tactics, and we are _not_ leaving here without Tyson." A glance at his blade gave him all the agreement he could ask for in the form of a flashing bit-piece and the momentary flare of heat from his blade through the launcher and up his arm. "Exactly." Crimson eyes flashed and flared in an echo of the blade as Kai stopped pacing abruptly, firmly planted in place. He turned around into his launch stance, launcher raised and pointed directly at the wall that blocked his path. "Do you hear me, Ryou or whatever your name is? You _will_ stop this nonsense that isn't fooling me or scaring me, and you _will_ let both Tyson and I leave this place or I _will not_ hesitate to _break_ our way out. That's not a threat! It's a goddamned promise."

A disembodied voice filled the room.

_"Interesting. I do not see how you could do so with just a toy. Tell us, why should we listen to such…passionate threats from a Hiwatari? They care for nothing but themselves and their money."_

Insulted and scowling darkly, Kai considered launching Dranzer just out of pure fury. "As I said before, do not judge me as you do my kin. I am _nothing_ like them. And this is no 'toy!' This is a Beyblade, which is dangerous enough on its own, but a real weapon in the hands of someone with skill. Oh, and it happens to be just that much more dangerous thanks to Dranzer, my Sacred Spirit who lives in my blade and empowers both it and me. I can and will burn this building down and walk away with a smile if you don't start taking me seriously!"

_"Now, now, child… Such impetuous words. And do you really think that…Beyblade, as you call it, will have any effect on us? Or this house? Tsk, tsk. Now,"_ the tone changed from chiding to seriousness, _"you have not given us a reason to believe that you are different from any other Hiwatari. You trespass on property that is not yours, you toss out orders and make threats. You treat your companion as less."_

Kai lowered his blade a fraction, blinking in a mixture of confusion and supreme indignation. "Excuse me? What do you care? And maybe if you hadn't played with our minds like you have since the moment we got here – particularly Tyson, as he's more likely to believe in these elaborate tricks you're playing – I wouldn't have to make the statements I have. I told you why we came here. But you are the ones who put us in a situation that forces me to take measures like this. As for my teammate…I don't understand what you mean by how I treat him, or why you give a damn."

_"We would not have made any contact with you had you not trespassed."_ The voice was angry now, and Kai raised his blade again in response, his focus narrowing as he used all his senses to try and find the owner of the voice. _"You dared to enter our home without permission, and woke us. We gave you opportunities to prove that you only made an honest mistake, but we became concerned as we observed the interaction between you and the Kinomiya boy. If you wish to rectify your trespass and to prove that you are not a Hiwatari like the rest, then you must explain your behavior towards the young Kinomiya and tell us why we should listen to you and your demands to be released."_

The former team captain gave a frustrated growl when he found he couldn't sense the owner of the voice, no matter what he tried. Not even with his senses heightened by Dranzer. "And I still don't get why the hell you care! The relationship between Tyson and myself is none of your business, and it doesn't affect you! Not to mention…what did I ever do to you? So what if I'm a Hiwatari?"

_"Normally, we would not care who you are. You offend us with your arrogance and pride. You offend us with the lack of respect and caring you have shown for Kinomiya. Some of this attitude of yours is explainable from our past experience with members of your family. Yet you claim otherwise, and we admit this makes us curious."_

He really did not understand this at all. It was looking very much like he was going to have to play along…at least until an opportunity presented itself. Or he simply gave up and destroyed the place (because he didn't believe for a second that Dranzer couldn't do it, no matter what these…beings said. He refused to call them spirits or ghosts or any other such label. Kai shifted his weight restlessly, assessing his options and reassessing the threat. "So basically, you want to study me like a lab rat until you've figured out what makes me tick? Sorry, but I've been here and done this, and I most certainly am not going to go through it again!"

_"You misunderstand, Hiwatari Kai. We seek understanding – not only about you but about why you and Kinomiya Tyson continue to hide emotion from each other as you are."_

Wait. What? "Huh?" Okay that came out less than intelligently. "What emotion are we hiding? _Apparently_ hiding?" He clarified.

_"If you do not know, then you cannot hope to free yourself."_

Arrrgh! This was just intolerable! Kai very much wanted to bang his head on the wall – almost as much as he wanted to blast it with Dranzer.

* * *

Tyson sat on the bottom step of the stairs, his head buried in his hands. His hat hung off his knee, and he was futilely trying not to just break down into tears. "Why won't you let him go? Why won't you let me find him and leave here? I told you we meant no harm. We just wanted to call for help for our team – who are still out there in that storm, by the way."

Another chill wind blew through the room, and this time it carried a voice. _"You are free to leave, young one. We have decided that you trespassed unknowingly and that you are a good soul."_

He looked up, eyes wide with tentative hope. "If you know that then why can't I find Kai? Because I can't leave him here."

_"Why would you wish to associate with such a combative, arrogant person like that Hiwatari? It has been our observation that he does not respect you nor does he care for your well-being."_

Shocked and confused, Tyson stood up, replacing his hat on his head. "What are you talking about? I mean, I know he can be a little…stand-offish, and a little overbearing at times with the attitude, but…he's not a bad person! He's really a very kind person. He just doesn't show it to people. You can't honestly believe that you can make such determinations about a person when you don't know a thing about them, and only based on a few minutes of observation, do you? And what do you mean he doesn't care about me or respect me? I can tell you that he does. I may be one of very, very few people that he actually does care about, and respect. We're rivals, even if we are teammates on occasion."

_"Yet you allow his indifferent treatment of you and this disrespectful attitude. It is obvious to us that you care for him, and quite deeply."_

"Of course I do. I consider him my best friend, as well as my rival and teammate. We fill many roles in each other's lives."

_"This may be, but we observe that you are hiding a very powerful emotion from each other. We do not understand this."_

Bewildered, Tyson cradled his injured wrist against his chest as it ached painfully. "I have no idea what you mean. We tell each other just about everything, and we've seen inside of each other in ways that no one has ever seen or ever will, I believe. I think I'd know if he was hiding something from me. I'm not hiding anything from him, that I know."

There was a long moment of silence, in which Tyson began to wonder if maybe the voice had simply disappeared. Then it spoke again.

"Perhaps if you listened to the words he speaks, yourself, you would gain a clear meaning to our curiosity."

Suddenly, after a strange, whirring sound followed by a static, white noise, Tyson heard Kai's voice distantly – as if he was standing far across a crowded room and speaking in a loud, but not obnoxious voice.

"I think you people need to get a TV if you're so bored that you're playing childish tricks on a couple of innocent passers-by like this for entertainment!"

"Kai!" Tyson called, hoping to finally get an answer. "Kai, it's me! Where are you?"

_"He cannot hear you, Tyson. Only you can hear him. Please listen, and learn."_

Frowning, Tyson did as he was told.

"Fine! You want to know what he is to me? It's simple: he's everything! I have no one else that can push me to wake up in the morning, to live no matter what happens, and who can challenge me in every way. And he knows it! You're deluded if you think he doesn't. He's far more observant and intelligent than he lets on."

Tyson's eyes went very wide. Well…he did know that, sort of. Kai had never actually _said_ the words aloud to him before, but somehow Tyson had always known. Maybe especially since that peaceful, powerful moment during their match in the last World Championship? Though, to hear the words now…spoken aloud and admitted to other people unashamedly…

There was a low murmur, then more annoyed words from Kai.

"What more do you want me to say?! I'm tired of these games. He's mine, damn you, and I will find him and take him back by force if I have to!"

A curious thrill slithered up Tyson's spine and settled in his chest, making his breath hitch and his heart pound. He didn't think he'd ever heard such possessive tones from his friend before, at least not in regard to something or someone that wasn't Dranzer. Smiling with blinding joy, Tyson murmured, "I love you, too, you jerk."

_"Ahh. So our suspicions were correct. Perhaps we were hasty in our assumptions."_ The ghostly voice mused apologetically.

Tyson looked around, wondering if he should go looking through the house for Kai again. However, as he turned toward the stairs, a strange sensation washed over him, and found himself dizzy and needing to sit before he fell over. But as soon as his butt hit the ground, he fell over on his side as darkness clouded his vision and he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Kali endnotes:** Thanks for your patience, folks! Only a bit more left to this fic! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to **R/R!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Kali Notes:** Entered in the **Ultimate TyKa Fanfiction Contest**.

So sorry for the wait. Kali's had…a whole lotta crap going on in life lately. Thanks for your patience!

**Disclaimer:** Kali does not own Beyblade or its characters. We just borrow them because we love them so much to write stuff. Stuff that fans like to read (we hope…)!

Also, Kali does not own The X-Files or the episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" which heavily influenced this fic.

**Warnings:** Shonen-ai, adult language, suspenseful situations, and indecent amount of fluff – because 'tis the season, after all.

**Pairing:** TyKa!

**_Special thanks to Typing, for giving me the idea I so desperately needed to write this, and to TechnoRanma for putting together the contest._**

* * *

**Chapter 05:**

Seething, worried for Tyson, and – for the first time in his memory – fearful of the situation, Kai prepared to launch Dranzer and put a quick end to this nightmare. But as his arm tensed to pull back on the ripcord, the air around him wavered, the images of the room and the fireplace and the furniture all blurring and fading together. It made him dizzy and he suddenly had to fight to keep his launcher _up_, let alone steady.

Before he knew it, he was standing on the front steps of the house, the wind blowing cold and snow around him. Blinking to get rid of the dizziness and disorientation, Kai let his launcher drop to his side and looked around in shock.

"What the hell…?" he really didn't understand what was going on around here. Turning, he looked up at the house – or what had been the house. It was barely more than a skeleton structure, old, derelict, and obviously a ruin. There were no floors, hardly any walls, and the roof may as well be non-existent for all the holes in it. Then Kai heard a soft moan, and spotted a sight that made his heart clench painfully.

"Tyson!" Horrified, he hurried over to Tyson and knelt down next to him, heedless of the snow and his lack of proper winter-wear. The bluenette teen was lying on his side, curled into himself and cradling his injured wrist against his chest. His hat lay nearby, and he didn't seem aware of his surroundings. "Kinomiya? Hey…" Kai gently pushed the wet, frozen strands of hair from his face and patted his cheek lightly. "Come on, Tyson. You have to wake up and tell me what's wrong so I can help you."

"Ughn…Kai…" Tyson muttered forlornly, curling into a tighter ball. Kai frowned and rolled Tyson over, pulling him into his lap and wrapping himself around the younger teen protectively. Rubbing his hands up and down Tyson's arms to try and get some warmth into him, Kai hoped he wasn't going to end up ill as well as injured because of this debacle.

"Kinomiya…wake up!" Kai peered down into Tyson's upturned face, feeling the body in his arms twitch and tense. "Come on, now…I know you can hear me, and I'm telling you to pull yourself together and wake up. Don't you dare get sick on me, Tyson!"

"Not." Tyson mumbled, one hazy blue eye squinting open and spotting Kai hovering above him. "What? Kai?" The other eye pried itself open and he looked around in confusion. "Where are we? What happened?" He shivered harshly and tried to wrap his own arms around himself, but yelped as he jarred his injured wrist.

"Easy." Kai grabbed his arm and held that wrist away from further injury. "I think you're going into shock, Tyson. We'd better get you back to the bus. At least it's warm." He reached up to take off his scarf and drape it around Tyson's neck instead, wrapping it carefully around him. "You don't remember anything about going into that house to borrow the phone to call a tow-truck and getting separated?"

"Huh?" A little distracted by Kai wrapping his precious scarf around _his_ (Tyson's!) neck, the bluenette tried to pull his mind back to the situation. "Oh. Yeah. Wait…what about the…" he struggled out of Kai's grasp and rolled onto his knees, looking up at the house only to fall back onto his butt in surprise at the state of the building. "Uh…that wasn't what we saw when we got here, was it?"

"No. I don't know what or who was messing with us, but they seem to be done. We should get out of here before they decide otherwise, Tyson."

Tyson looked up at Kai, who rose to his feet and brushed the snow off his clothes. "I think…I remember…something…" he said, accepting the hand Kai held out to help him up.

"We can talk about it later, Tyson. Let's just get to safety and warmth." Kai didn't release his hand, instead he kept it firmly in his own as if he felt Tyson would disappear again if he didn't. Bemused, Tyson let him pull him along as they hurried away from the strange old haunted house, trudging through the snow.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, two silent, unseen spectres hovered near the unhinged front door of their beloved home, watching the two youths stumble down the hill and away.

_"Things have changed so much, my love."_ The female ghost commented sadly. _"It seems that we no longer belong here."_

_"Truly. Perhaps we no longer are able to understand those living any longer. It used to be easy to scare and influence those who trespassed in our home. But these two…they were not afraid of us, nor for themselves. If they were afraid, it was for each other."_ The male ghost replied.

_"I had believed such honour and compassion had died long before we did."_ Isae admitted._ "It gives me hope to see that maybe there is hope for the future."_

_ "They were interesting children. So young yet so wise."_

_ "I hope they seize what happiness they can. Life is so fleeting, and the living take it for granted too easily."_

_ "I think they'll be just fine, my love."_

* * *

Kai rapped his knuckles on the glass of the door and waited until someone inside rushed over to open it for him.

"Kai! Tyson! There you are!" Max exclaimed, motioning them inside. "Get in here before you freeze to death!"

"Tyson!" Hilary scolded immediately, rushing toward them down the aisle. "What were you thinking?! Going off on your own like that, not telling anyone you left…"

"Don't badger him right now, Hilary." Kai guided Tyson to a seat and watched him sink down into it wearily. "Get me the first aid kit again." He sat down next to the bluenette and with infinite care rolled up Tyson's sleeves and unwrapped the bandages from earlier that evening to inspect the damage. He winced at the bruising and swollen flesh. "How are you not bitching and moaning and complaining?"

Tyson grit his teeth and leaned against the seat, absolutely compliantly. "Because I was a little preoccupied with trying to find _you_, oh fearless leader, and get out of that whacked out place." He flinched as Rei suddenly appeared behind Kai and handed him a plastic baggie that he'd filled with snow and icicles for a makeshift ice-pack. "Oh, no, please don't…OW!" He hissed as Kai molded the baggie around Tyson's wrist and held his arm in place so that he couldn't jerk it away.

"Until we get home, you'll have to put up with this, Kinomiya. I don't like this swelling." Kai stated, looking up to meet Tyson's pain-filled eyes. "Are you still cold?"

"You're asking me that with _that_ on me?" the dragon grumbled, nodding at the ice-pack. Kai ignored the complaint and eyed him warningly. "A little, but not as bad as before." Tyson confessed grudgingly.

Kenny peered over the seat at them. "What happened? Where did you go, anyway?"

"Yeah, Tyson." Daichi echoed, poking his head between Hilary and Max to scowl at his teammate.

"I went with Kai to find a phone to call for a tow-truck." The bluenette said, scowling back ineffectually.

"We thought we'd gotten lucky with the house up the hill, but it's just a ruin." Kai interjected before a squabble could break out and before anyone could start asking questions that he wasn't about to answer. Tyson seemed to catch on quickly enough, thankfully, and simply nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, no help there."

They didn't notice the looks exchanged amongst their friends. After a brief pause, Rei broke the silence.

"Uh, yeah…about that…"

Kai glanced at him, shifting the ice-pack to the other side of Tyson's wrist. "What?"

Hilary held out her hand, in which lay a cell phone. "Max had a cell phone tucked away in his luggage. He forgot he even had it."

Max had the grace to blush and look sheepish when both Kai and Tyson stared hard at him. "Um…oops?"

"Great. So I take it that help is on the way?" Kai eyed the other teens, who all enthusiastically nodded.

"Yes!" They chorused.

"I managed to call Mr. Dickenson. He said he was sending another bus for us and a tow-truck to deal with this bus. Both should be here soon." Kenny informed him, glancing at his watch.

"Good." Kai's tone was dismissive, and he turned back to observe Tyson's wrist, shifting the ice-pack again. "How's the wrist, Kinomiya? Still in pain?"

Tyson shrugged, grimacing. "Not so bad at the moment. Kinda numb, really."

Kai nodded. The swelling was going down slightly. Neither noticed their friends melting away to the far side of the bus and leaving them be.

The bluenette watched Kai gently wrap some gauze around his wrist to hold the ice-pack against it. "Kai…about what happened…"

"You're not going to tell me about ghosts, Kinomiya. I don't know what it was, but I don't believe in ghosts."

"No, not that. Although it was pretty freaky and paranormal… But it wasn't what I was talking about."

"Then what?" The phoenix was so concentrated on his task that he didn't see Tyson's soft, fond expression.

"I heard what you said when we were separated. Um…whoever it was let me hear your conversation with…them." Tyson laid his good hand on top of Kai's, halting his movements for a moment and drawing his attention back up so their eyes met. "The one that was talking to me, at the time, said that they didn't understand why we were hiding things from each other. I told her that we weren't, that I'd know if you were hiding something from me and vice-versa, but she didn't believe me, I guess."

Frowning, Kai shifted restlessly under that stormy blue gaze. "Well, we would. We don't have any reason to hide anything, even if we did have something to hide. We're too…close for that."

"I know. I tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen. That's when they let me hear your, uh, demands." Tyson's grin flashed in amusement. And it widened when Kai actually flushed as he realized what it was Tyson was getting at.

"Kinomiya…"

"So I belong to you, huh?" Tyson lowered his eyes a bit, managing to look rather coy about it. Kai narrowed his eyes at the dragon, watching as the very pink tip of Tyson's tongue poked out and licked at his bottom lip, tantalizing Kai's senses unconsciously. Lowering his voice, Tyson leaned forward a little as he continued. "I'm the reason you get up in the morning? I think that's nicest thing you've ever said about me."

Not realizing that he'd leaned closer to Tyson, Kai reached out and grabbed a handful of Tyson's shirt and jacket, pulling him right in until they were nose-to-nose. "You already knew that, Tyson. Maybe I never said it out loud, but we've never had to say anything out loud to each other, have we?" Kai's crimson eyes flared, boring right into Tyson's were neither blader could run away nor hide.

"Had to? No, probably not. Not the really important stuff, after I finally got you to pull your head out of your ass." Tyson grinned again, laughing lowly at the reluctant agreement in Kai's expression. He brought up his good hand and cupped Kai's cheek, his thumb tracing along the blue face-paint without smudging it. "What's wrong, Kai? What those…whatever they were…what they said is bothering you, isn't it?"

Kai sighed. "A little. Am I really such a jerk to you?"

"No." Tyson shook his head in denial and rubbed Kai's cheek a little more strongly. "You're only being you, and I know what's underneath that gruff, loner image of yours. When you yell at me it's because you care, you're worried about me, or because I'm being stupid and need to have some sense knocked into me. I think you'll recall that I yell at you when you deserve it, too, Hiwatari."

A brief smile quirked. "Frequently."

"Exactly. And you don't act like we're together in public because that's what we agreed on, and because you're just not a demonstrative person in that aspect of your life. I don't have an issue with that. I know what's in here," Tyson dropped his good hand to Kai's chest and laid it against his heart, "and I don't need some spooks messing with us to get me to understand that you love me."

Kai placed a hand over Tyson's, holding it to his heart, and leaned his forehead against the bluenette's. After a moment, he sighed heavily and squeezed that hand. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"My stupid insecurities."

"Kai, love of my life, we all have them. I get jealous as hell at the most inopportune times, you know." Tyson winked, attempting to lighten the mood and bring Kai out of his funk. It worked. Kai snorted and pulled back, conscious of their team not far away – and probably watching closely and straining to hear anything they could.

"My alpha little dragon." Kai smirked, and Tyson just beamed smugly.

Hilary interrupted them at that point, squealing happily and pointing out the window. Headlights could be seen approaching them from a very short distance away through the snow. "Guys! I think the rescue bus is here!"

"Yes!" Daichi jumped up and immediately started pulling his bag down from the overhead bag compartments. "Get your stuff, guys! Let's get going!"

"Geez, Daichi." Max laughed, narrowly avoiding getting whacked with a suitcase that Daichi dropped down in order to get at his own.

"Got a hot date or something?" Rei inquired teasingly, grinning a fang-filled smile when the little guy made a puke-face.

"EW! Not on your life, Rei. I'm just hungry. Starving!" A loud rumbling growl echoed from his stomach just to emphasize his point.

Kai let go of Tyson and got up to start gathering their bags from overhead, too. "Ready to go home, Kinomiya?"

Surreal blue eyes shone brightly up at him, and one gloved, uninjured hand reached out toward Kai, an echo of the many times over the years that same hand had been offered to Kai. He grasped it and let their fingers twine together.

"Home is you, Kai. I'm already there."

* * *

**_FIN ENDE OWARI_**

**Kali endnotes:** And that be all I wrote! XD Thanks for reading, and don't forget to **R/R!!**

**Yami FireKali **


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